German MEP Markus Buchheit (ESN) has questioned the European Commission over the lack of standardised cross-border postage rates within the EU single market, pointing to a stark tariff asymmetry between member states. In a written parliamentary question submitted on 9 June 2026, Buchheit highlighted that sending a standard letter from Belgium to Germany via bpost costs €3.07, almost 2.5 times the €1.25 charged by Deutsche Post for the reverse direction. The MEP argues that such discrepancies undermine the single market's completion and harm consumers and businesses engaged in cross-border correspondence.
The question, filed under Rule 144 of the European Parliament's rules of procedure, asks the Commission to explain why such tariff asymmetry persists despite decades of EU integration. Buchheit also inquires whether the Commission intends to propose an initiative to harmonise or standardise cross-border postage rates, and if so, when. The MEP draws a historical parallel to Heinrich von Stephan, who standardised postage rates in the German Empire and later founded the Universal Postal Union in 1874, establishing a cross-border tariff system for multiple sovereign states.
Buchheit's question contains a concrete numerical example but does not specify a target rate or deadline for harmonisation. The policy orientation is towards greater EU-level intervention to eliminate price disparities, which would likely benefit consumers and small businesses sending cross-border mail, but could impose compliance costs on national postal operators and reduce their pricing flexibility. The Commission is expected to respond within approximately six weeks, and its answer will signal whether it views postal tariff asymmetry as a single market issue requiring legislative action or as a matter best left to market forces and national regulation.